Grace and Fertilizer

In Luke 13, people ask Jesus about a horrible event where Pilate killed Galileans. Jesus said, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way, they were worse sinners than all Galileans?” In other words, Jesus says that bad things often just happen – nobody deserves them.

In our day, we still sometimes seem to think that people who are homeless or hurting or even in detention camps may somehow be “getting what they deserve.” Jesus tries to recast our awareness that we are all interconnected. The point is not to prove someone deserves the good or bad things that are happening to them. The point is to try to help make things better since we are all God’s creation.

So Jesus next tells a parable about a tree that was not bearing fruit, but the gardener puts fertilizer around it to give it more time, to give it another chance. What do you think that means?

For me, I think it means that Jesus is proclaiming how gracious God is, and how God invites us to be partners in seeking to help one another thrive.

People of St. Timothy, these have been some difficult years, with burdens on the health and well-being of so many. I am grateful that you continue to strive to learn from God in sharing grace and extending care for loved ones and neighbors. Thank you for your discipleship!